Hi all!

Today I am going to share my 5, least favourite scary films. They don’t always get it right. If I mention one you love, I’m truly sorry. This is just my opinion. It does not mean you are wrong. Without further ado, let’s get into it! Spoilers ahead!

1.) The Open House 

The Open House received a 13% score on Rotten Tomatoes and 3.2 on IMDB. In my opinion, those ratings were quite generous; such is my distaste for this film. The story follows a mother and son, who move into a mountain chalet, waiting until it sells. The townspeople are odd and during the open house visits on Sundays, a series of strange events begin to occur. How do I even begin to describe my terrible viewing experience? I was hoping it was a paranormal movie (earlier scenes did suggest something otherworldly causing all the chaos) but no, it was just an unidentified killer, with no real purpose or connection to the main characters. Furthermore, the scares were LAME. A lot of the film is just somebody moving the teenager’s phone and turning off the pilot light, so their showers are cold. The storyline made no sense, the reveal was incredibly underwhelming and the ending was depressing. There are red herrings that aren’t executed well, which end up manifesting as loose-ends, with no closure. The acting was subpar and the majority of the jump scares relied on an Alzheimer’s patient. Do not watch it!

2.) The Grudge (2020) 

I love The Grudge – both the American and Japanese versions. I was a massive fan of the television series: Ju-On Origins. I highly recommend it. However, the newest instalment, released in 2020, was woeful. The biggest disservice was the lack of Kayako. She’s more of a side character, than the main spirit, who is a completely new person, named Melinda. When you watch The Grudge, you do so for Kayako. Furthermore, you expect the story to feature the infamous cursed house in Japan. Not in this one! The entire plot takes place in Pennsylvania. The acting was bad, the storyline was disjointed and nothing made sense. For example, if the house is supposed to curse everybody that enters, there would be a slew of first-responders, who would’ve had to come inside to remove the bodies. Yet, there was no mention of it. This instalment was pointless. It added nothing.

3.) The Woman In Black 

This one hurts a bit, because I was expecting The Woman in Black to be one of my favourites. It had all the makings of my kind of spooky story. This gothic tale features a paranormal entity, a haunted house with creepy dolls and a stunning backdrop in the English countryside. Not to mention, Daniel Radcliffe, plays the protagonist. After his wife passes away, Arthur Kipps, (a lawyer) is sent to a remote village to put a deceased eccentric’s affairs in order. When he arrives, it becomes clear that the villagers are hiding a terrible secret. Not to mention, a woman is haunting his late client’s home, desperate to find something or someone she lost. The only redeeming quality of this film is the scenery. It’s beautifully shot. That is where my compliments end. It was slow, boring and not even remotely scary. Furthermore, the ending was shocking, and not in a good way. Horror doesn’t usually wrap-up pleasantly, but this was downright morbid. Arthur’s four year old son is killed by an incoming train and Arthur dies, trying to save him. I know it’s based off a book, but I haven’t read it, so I’m unsure if it’s similar to the adaptation. Either way, I was not okay with the murder of a toddler. Let me know if the novel is any better.

4.) Await Further Instructions 

This sci-fi horror film had an excellent concept, but the execution was poor. It follows an English family, who come together on Christmas Eve, only to have their home completely taken over by a mysterious black substance on Christmas Day. There is no explanation, aside from their television broadcasting a message that reads: Await Further Instructions. As the film progresses, more and more commands are given via the screen. Tensions rise as the cabin-fever starts to set in. I didn’t like a single character in this movie. There was so much blatant racism, vulgarity and unnecessary violence throughout the entire story. It was very unrealistic and by that, I don’t mean the science fiction elements. I mean the way the family behaved under those circumstances. They were horrible to one another. I don’t believe any parent would treat their children the way the father did. The ending didn’t provide any closure or explanation for the hostile takeover. It made me feel sick and I’m not the squeamish type. I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody.

5.) The Cabin In The Woods 

Last, but not least, we have a highly controversial opinion. The Cabin In The Woods is beloved by so many people. I think that’s why I didn’t like it. I was expecting something incredible and was let down. When five college friends arrive at a remote, forest cabin for a vacation, little do they expect the horrors that await them. One by one, the youths fall victim to backwoods zombies, but there is another factor at play. Two scientists are manipulating the ghoulish goings-on. But even as the body count rises, there is more at work than meets the eye. Here is my issue with this movie. I didn’t know it was supposed to be a dark comedy. I took it super seriously, so when it started to get weird, I became confused. It was only after it ended, I realised it was a parody mash-up of other horror movies. I tried to view it from that lens but it didn’t help. I don’t understand the hype and wouldn’t re-watch it. Sorry!

 Thank you for reading! What are some of your least favourite horror movies? 

Peace & Love xoxo